4 ESU track and field athletes take home All-American honors
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
As expected, the Emporia State track and field team received its highest finish in the men’s javelin on the last day of the Division-II National Championships in Charlotte, N.C.
What wasn’t expected, though, was who finished as the Hornets’ top placer.
Tyson Allen threw a career-best 216 feet, 11 inches for a second-place showing at the event on Saturday, as four Hornets took All-American honors.
Allen’s toss was the fifth-best throw in ESU history.
Meanwhile, defending national champion Andy Vogelsberg had a rough day, fouling three times and finishing with a long toss of 210 feet, which put him at fourth. He had the top throw coming into Nationals by more than 20 feet (232 feet, 10 inches). Last year, he had a toss of 245 feet, 3 inches to win the title.
Vogelsberg still became the first Hornet to earn All-American honors four straight years in the same event since Al Feuerbach accomplished it in the shot put from 1967-70.
Jonel Rossbach became the third ESU woman to earn All-American honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same year, running a personal-best 4:33.00 in the 1,500-meter run for an eighth-place finish.
Trent Olivier was the other All-American for ESU, taking the honor for the second straight season in the discus. The senior finished with a heave of 164 feet, 7 inches to place eighth.
Damon Birk, the other ESU athlete to participate on Saturday, finished 19th in the discus with a throw of 147-01.
The ESU men placed 16th as a team, compiling 14 team points. ESU was the second-best finisher in the MIAA, as only Central Missouri (10th, 21 points) placed higher.
The ESU women finished in 58th place, with Rossbach contributing the team’s only point.